Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Utrecht and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Austin, TX: $2,704 a month against $2,868 in Utrecht, rent and utilities included – about $2,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

142

Cost of Living Index in Utrecht
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Utrecht Living Index
129

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index

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Utrecht

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$2,868

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,704

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Utrecht and in Austin, TX

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Utrecht and in Austin, TX actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,868 in Utrecht versus $2,704 in Austin, TX.

Utrecht $2,868
Austin, TX $2,704

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,190 in Utrecht versus $4,133 in Austin, TX.

Utrecht $4,190
Austin, TX $4,133

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,512 in Utrecht versus $5,562 in Austin, TX.

Utrecht $5,512
Austin, TX $5,562

Living in Utrecht is roughly 6% more expensive than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Utrecht 114% above, Austin, TX 102% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.56 €20.13

$20.22 $20.22

11.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.7 €75.5

$85.0 $85.0

-0.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.39 €11.95

$12.35 $12.35

8.42%

Cappuccino

$4.82 €4.30

$5.47 $5.47

-11.88%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 €3.46

$3.82 $3.82

1.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.34 €2.98

$2.50 $2.50

33.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.63 €5.92

$8.06 $8.06

-17.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.18 €6.41

$8.99 $8.99

-20.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 €1.38

$1.13 $1.13

37.17%

White Bread (500g)

$2.86 €2.55

$3.78 $3.78

-24.34%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.56 €2.28

$3.25 $3.25

-21.23%

Eggs

$4.68 €4.18

$4.14 $4.14

13.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.43 €11.98

$13.08 $13.08

2.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.83 €12.34

$14.31 $14.31

-3.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.66 €16.65

$15.96 $15.96

16.92%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 €2.42

$4.38 $4.38

-38.13%

Banana (1kg)

$2.49 €2.22

$1.45 $1.45

71.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.09 €1.87

$4.54 $4.54

-53.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.85 €3.43

$4.19 $4.19

-8.11%

Potato (1kg)

$1.71 €1.53

$2.63 $2.63

-34.98%

Onion (1kg)

$1.92 €1.72

$2.36 $2.36

-18.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.58 €1.41

$1.76 $1.76

-10.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 €1.24

$2.16 $2.16

-35.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.50 €12.94

$9.81 $9.81

47.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.53 €5.83

$14.72 $14.72

-55.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.34 €1.20

$2.78 $2.78

-51.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.72 €2.42

$3.48 $3.48

-21.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.52 €3.14

$1.49 $1.49

136.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$132 €118

$40.51 $40.51

226.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.70 €3.30

$2.67 $2.67

38.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.68 €2.39

$1.58 $1.58

69.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$45.85 €40.92

$35.29 $35.29

29.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.51 €2.24

$0.99 $0.99

153.54%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$41.6K €37.1K

$35.8K $35.8K

16.06%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$38.6K €34.4K

$27.2K $27.2K

41.98%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$247 €221

$219 $219

12.76%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$21.83 €19.48

$58.0 $58.0

-62.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$47.76 €42.62

$68.4 $68.4

-30.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.52 €39.73

$57.9 $57.9

-23.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$31.62 €28.21

$14.82 $14.82

113.36%

Cinema Ticket

$15.72 €14.03

$14.13 $14.13

11.25%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$3,083 €2,751

$1,509 $1,509

104.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,065 €7,197

$21.5K $21.5K

-62.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$96.5 €86.1

$51.7 $51.7

86.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.6 €46.96

$44.05 $44.05

19.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 €95.3

$85.1 $85.1

25.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$127 €113

$105 $105

20.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,897 €1,693

$1,932 $1,932

-1.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,508 €1,346

$1,272 $1,272

18.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,238 €2,890

$3,670 $3,670

-11.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,261 €2,018

$2,525 $2,525

-10.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,916 €6,172

$7,617 $7,617

-9.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,857 €4,335

$3,199 $3,199

51.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,294 €3,832

$5,105 $5,105

-15.89%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.23

6.79

-52.43%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Utrecht: October 4, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Utrecht

$1.5K 51.2%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.2% 15.6% $236

Eating Out

Utrecht

$355 12.1%

Austin, TX

$348 13.2% 1.9% $6.8

Groceries & Markets

Utrecht

$352 12%

Austin, TX

$403 15.3% 14.6% $51

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Utrecht

$317 10.8%

Austin, TX

$346 13.1% 9.1% $29

Clothing & Footwear

Utrecht

$172 5.9%

Austin, TX

$129 4.9% 25.2% $43

Getting Around

Utrecht

$163 5.6%

Austin, TX

$57 2.2% 65.1% $106

Sport & Entertainment

Utrecht

$76 2.6%

Austin, TX

$86 3.3% 13.4% $10

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,897 in Utrecht and $1,932 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 19% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $85.0 in Utrecht vs $85.0 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $352 vs $403 per month, with Utrecht cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇳🇱 Utrecht

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

07:17 7:17 AM

00:17 12:17 AM

7 h behind Utrecht

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

367,947

974,447

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

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Between locations

Utrecht Austin, TX 8,200 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Utrecht
Austin, TX

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Utrecht vs Austin, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Austin, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 6% lower than in Utrecht. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Austin, TX the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 19% lower in Austin, TX. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,897 in Utrecht versus $1,932 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,868 per month in Utrecht versus $2,704 in Austin, TX – a 6% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Austin, TX runs roughly 226% less than in Utrecht. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Austin, TX is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both work as nomad bases, but Austin, TX delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,704 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Austin, TX hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Utrecht and Austin, TX are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Austin, TX gentler on the wallet – expenses run 6% less than in Utrecht. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.